Running board



Feb.21,'1928. N' n 1,660,307

' B. BRONSON RUNNING BOARD Filed Oct'. 17, 1925l narily.

ed claims.

f an automobile provided with -a running' Patented Feb. 21, 1.928.

` UNi'rED sti-*ariasv :BUDD BRONSON, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO -THE OHIO RUBBER COMPANY, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

. CLEVELAND, OHIO,v A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RUNNING BOARD.

applicati@ ined october 1.7,'19'25. serial NQ. s2,9, s1.

This invention relates to running boards for automobiles, and hasfor one of its objects to reduce the number of parts-andthe number of operations in constructing, `iin-ishing and applying running boards .to auto-.

mobile chassis. 4

A further object is to rovide a running board having a non-metal ic covering which lwill not loosen or buckle, and4 which is im effect a part ,of the running board instead- ,ofbeing applied and fastened to it as.ord1- A still furtherobjeet'is to provide a running board having a` rubber covering which in eil'ect is formed integral with it, and which is -touglier and has greater abrasive resistance than W'lienvthe covering `is-cemented to the running board. j Still further-the invention aims-to do away with the necessity of the usual metal binding strip employed in connection with a non# metallic covering, and to eliminate lthe necessity for rivets, screws and the like ordi- .nar'ily employed in applying the binding strip.

. as consisting incertain novel details of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the 'append- In the. accompanyingisheet of drawings, Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion of board embodying the invention; Fig, 2 is a top lan view of the running board with part of the rubber covering removed to show the metal base to which the "covering is molded, vulcanized and interlocked; Fig.' 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same onv a slightly enlarged scale;Fig..4 is a perspective view vof a portion of the base of .the runningl board withthe rubber covering removed; Fig.l 5 is .a detail sectional view .through the'bas'e, substantially along the line 5-5 ofpFig. 2, showingv one of the struck-up straps used in forming the interlock between ythe rubber and metal, the rubber covering being omitted; Fig. 6 is asimilar detail sectional view through the" rubber and metal The invention-.may be brieiy summarized parts of tlie runningboard, thesection being taken between the interlocking straps; Fig.

' 7 is a similar view with the section taken through oneof the'interlooking straps; and Figs. 8, 9 and I10 are detail sectional views on an enlarged scale, through the marginal portion ofthe base or metal portion of the running board, and illustrating di'iferent Ways in which the margin may be formed or treated.

Referring now to the drawings, 10,'repre-l sents my improved running board adapted 4 tobe applied to the motor vehiele,a portion of which isindicated at '11, and which includes front andrear fenders 11'el andl 11" which are attached to the ends of the running board 10. The running board maybe supported from the chassis frame Vin any suitable manner, as by one or' more Aarms or brackets. projecting out from the' chassis frame and secured in any of the usual ways 'to the lower side of the` running board. As `my invention does not involve the `manner of attaching the running board tothe chas- Ysis frame, 'a mode of attachment is not ilf-lustrated. f

1 It is a'feature of the present invention .that the runnin@ board 10 is composed'of metal base or body 12 and a suitably shaped a covering'13 of non-metallic material such as .rubber which is molded -and vulcanizedI toy thel base 12 so asI to in effect form `an integral part therewith.

' The metal board or base 12 of the 'running 'board is lpreferably 4stamped from sheet metal of suitable gauge, and in the stamping or forming operation it is given the shape hereinafter described lto accommodate ,the rubber.: covering, and is suitably deformed at intervals to cause the rubber and metal to bethoroughly interlocked together. vThe rubbe'r covering 13, 4whichuis preferably ribbed, as shown, is molded directly onto the base 12,

preferablya-vulcanizing press, as it is desir- Iwhich acts as one part of the mold, and this lis accomplished in a suitable hydraulic press,

ablethat the rubber be vulcanized under the pressure required to` mold shape'onthe base. f-

In'stamping vout the base or metal portion of the running board, it is preferably made in the form of a, shallow receptacle or pan, as best indicated in Fig. 3,.with at least four distinct objects in view, to-wit; to accommodate' the rubber coverin to form finished edgesjat the margin of t e top of the run-l it`v to the proper ioo i depth beneath the upper edge of the marginal rim' or flange 12". The upstandingv rim may be rounded as indicated in Fig. 3

and in Fig. 9,' or it may be arranged square. at vthe top, as indicated at 12c in Fig. 8.

The edge portions of the metal are preferably turned down entirely around the running board, as indicated vat 12dso as to give the requisite depth to the running board, and for strengthening purposes. The extrerro edge portions may be tur-ned inward, as indi-r cated at 12e in Fig. 9, or they may be folded up or turned back against the ,vertical marginal portions 12d, as indicated at 12t in Fig.

10. Furthermore, .across the bottom 12a I,

prefer 'to provide a series of longitudinal and transversely extendingl intersecting grooves which may be rounded as indicated at 12g in Figs. 3, 7 and v9, or may be made substantially square, as indicated at 12Il in Fig. 8. The' principal function of thesev grooves is toy strengthen the running board, but as theyvare adapted to be filled with the rubber, 'they give `more body tothe "rubberand assist materially in securing and hold'- ing the rubber and metal together.

Additionally in stamping or forming the metal part or base 12, the. latter is given suitable deformations to form the interlock. In the preferred embodiment of the invention this is `done bystriking up what may be termed integral straps 125, lwhich bridge the longitudinal and ltransversely extendin grooves 12g and are preferably elevate lslightly, above the'bottom 12a, as best indicated in Figs.V 5 and 7. Thesestruck up straps can be arranged as close together as is found desirable, and as indicated in Fig. 2 they are preferably arranged at regular `or substantially regular intervals, or uniformly over the base or body 12.

When the base 10 is. placed in the press,

i and the rubber is molded onto it under very severe pressure, therubber issqueezed and looped under all the stra s 12j in the manner best indicated in Fig. ,thus thoroughly interlocking the metal and rubber. AThe in-A terlocking may be formed in other ways asby punching suitable holes at intervals in the base ortbody `12, which holescan be made regular or irregular as may be 'found desirable. However, I prefer to form the inter- The bottom 12a lconstituting with my lock by striking up the straps 125, which by l bridging'the grooves 12g will be thoroughly embedded-in the rubber without requiring that the rubber be made of unnecessary thickness. 1

As beforey stated, the rubber 13 is preferably` ribbed, as illustrated, but it may be flat or any suitable design may be molded v into the top ofthe rubber by the platen of the;` press, but the provision of ribs eX- tending longitudinally of the running board is preferable. In molding the rubber to the metal lpart of the running board, thethickness of the rubber is preferably made substantially equal' to. the depth of the main 4depression of the running board,-that is to say, thel top of the rubber is substantially flush with the upstanding marginal flanges or bead of the base or body 12, as best indicated in Fig. 3, but if desired, the top sur- .face of the rubber may be slightly below or above the top of the marginal bead of the metal. f

As running boards are ordinarily formed, a non-metalllc coveringof rubber or composition is cemented to thebody of the running u board, and a binding strip is utilized to holdl in place and to provide a trim the coverin or finish, t e binding strip being usually held in place l`y1 screws, bolts or rivets.

Inmy improved construction it is obvious that no binding strip is required, as the finish is formed in the stamping and "molding operation, leaving a metal bead all the Way around the running board, the same being formed by the upstanding marginal rounded or otherwise shaped iiange 12b.

` When the rubber is molded and vulcanized to the running board, no nishing operations are required in the way of aintingl or the like, as I propose to" use'ste'e treated to resist corrosion with 'a finish color such, for example, as silver-grey, satinlblack, or any other color which may be desired for any particular automobile.

' In applyin a non-metallic covering to the running boar s in' use heretofore, great pains p mustbe taken to reduce buckling, but in spite ofv the efforts made to prevent it, the coverings do loosen up, buckle o r warp, but

improved' running board buckling or eaking loose is prevented in view of the fact that the rubber is molded into the shallow depression or pan-like metal body, vulcanized in place and thoroughly interlocked with the metal base practically uniformly over the entire surface thereof. Ad-

ditionally the modeof applying the rubber 7" makes it much tougherJ and increases the abrasive lresistance with respect to a sheet of rubber applied in any methods heretofore used.

v otherway, as by the f It will be lnoted that I have provided what -i might termed a single unit steel and rubberl running board completed in finished.

form out of two substantially integral formed parts or elements', and adapted to be applied as a unit to the chassis of an automobile. In consequence, by my invention not only the number of parts but the number of operations required informing the running board are greatly reduced, thus enabling' me not only to provide a very superior running board, but one which .can be produced inexpensively.

While I have shown the preferred construction, I do not desire to be confined t0 the precise details shown.' For example, while the provision of grooves across the base is preferable, in some instances they may be dispensed with, and whilel I prefer to pro'- vide the interlocking straps across the grooves, the straps may be formed independently of the grooves and may bev distributed over a base formed fiat or with the grooves eliminated. WhileI have illustrated my invention applied to a' running board for motor vehicles, I do not desire to limit -my invention to the specific disclosure herein.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. composite product of the character described comprising a sheet metal body flanged at the margin and formed with a. shallow depression having 'a generally -flat bottom surface of substantially uniform depth beneath the upper'edge of said margin and-a non-metallic sheet in contact with the body a'nd substantially filling the said depression, said sheet in the molding operation being interlockedwith the body atvspaced points along its margin-and inside its margin so as to beheld substantially uniformly ened at its margin and formed with a shal-` low depression inside its margin, and a covering of rubber molded and vulcanized in contact with the body and substantially iilling said depression, the rubber having a thickened margin and in the molding oper- -ation being positively secured tothe body'at spaced pomts along the thickened margin and at spaced points inside its margin by the rubber bei-ng extended beneath and` interlocked with portions of the body, so as to be held substantially uniformly over its area against separation away from the base of the depression.

3. A composite unitary running yboard comprising an elongated sheet metal body havinga marginal wear resisting fiange and a shallow,- material-receiving depression having a enerally fiat bottom surfaceof lsubstantia ly uniform depth beneath the upper edge of' said margin, and a cover for said body molded in contact therewith and substantially iilling said depression, said ,cover 'being interlocked with said vbody ata plurality of points uniformly distributedfover the surface of said depression, so as to pre- -vent separation of the cover away from the base' of the depression.

Iii-testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature.

BUDD BRONSON. 

